By Emameh Gabriel
They say when the lizard wages war against the rain, it is not because the rain has sinned, but because the lizard has forgotten it cannot fly. Such was the comic-like spectacle I stumbled upon today at the entrance of the Federal Secretariat, where a handful of protesters, armed with rented actors and the coherence of a drunken town crier, declared war on one of Nigeria’s most accomplished labour intellectuals.
What cracked me up the most was seeing some roadside traders I could identify, including the girl who serves food in one of the restaurants at Eagle Square, waving placards that read, “Issa Aremu, worst DG! and “Aremu must go!” Now, correct me if I am wrong, but since when did restaurant staff become civil servants overnight? Did MINILS suddenly start recruiting from Mama Put joints?
I parked, blinked, and, poof!, the protest had vanished faster than free money at a political rally. And here is the joke. When I asked why they were protesting, the best response I got was: “Oga no dey try.” Ah, yes. Not one of them could say what exactly Aremu had done wrong. No accusations of stolen funds. No claims of embezzlement. Not even a whisper of misconduct. Just vague grumbling and rented rage. A well-reasoned critique worthy of a Harvard debate.
As the Yoruba say: ‘Ọmọdé kò mọ ibi ẹnu-ọ̀nà wà…’ those protesting Aremu’s reforms are like children mistaking a disciplined institution for their chaotic playground.
Let’s be real here. What kind of concerned worker abandons their desk before noon to protest a man who has just been reappointed by President Tinubu? If Aremu was truly so terrible, why would the President bring him back? Could it be that some people are just upset they can no longer turn the institute into their personal ATM?
When has reappointing a man who transformed MINILS from a near glorified structure to a functioning institution become a crime? The protesters’ pain is that they age being denied their ancestral right to feast on government resources like locusts in a grain store. As the Yoruba say: When the masquerade is truly fierce, even the children who dressed it will run from it.
Let this be a lesson to all would-be protest sponsors: Next time, at least hire actors who can spell “labour studies,” and for heaven’s sake, don’t recruit the woman who sells you puff-puff every morning. The revolution will not be catered – at least not by roadside food vendors.
An elder does not remain in the marketplace only to tie his headgear in disgrace. True to this wisdom, Aremu has never been one to disgrace his office, not as a veteran labour leader, and certainly not now as MINILS’ transformative Director General.
As Nigerians across sectors, from youth groups to labour unions, celebrate Aremu’s reappointment, a handful of detractors (those accustomed to treating MINILS as their private estate) sulk in protest. These are people who only learned what dedication meant when Aremu took charge and put staff welfare first.
Aremu has more than earned his stripes. Under his stewardship, the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS) has been transformed into a respected institution, benefiting from his decades of experience as a labour leader to redefine its mandate.
Once an underfunded and underperforming institute, MINILS has flourished under Aremu’s leadership. The monthly overhead budget surged from N3.5 million to N13 million, facilitating substantial infrastructural upgrades, including renovated hostels, a new Entrepreneurship Development Centre, solar energy adoption, and improved road access. Training programmes expanded exponentially, exceeding targets with over 3,000 participants trained both on-site and online. This included 720 youths in skills such as cinematography and carpentry, alongside 220 artisans through the Skill-Up Artisans (SUPA) initiative.
Aremu also played a strategic role in shaping national policy, contributing to the 2024 minimum wage negotiations by conducting a cost-of-living survey that supported the new N70,000 wage. His commitment to inclusivity ensured gender balance and representation from all six geopolitical zones, while championing women’s empowerment and digital literacy.
Strategic partnerships further elevated MINILS’ profile, including hosting the 10th Labour Summit and collaborating with the National Population Commission on census-related matters. Staff welfare remained a cornerstone of his leadership, with N21.5 million allocated in 2024 for benefits and N156 million disbursed to settle arrears for outsourced workers. Additionally, over N13 million was invested in professional certifications (ICAN, CIPM, etc.) for staff.
His open door policy, weekly management meetings, and departmental autonomy fostered a transparent and efficient workplace. Staff laud his accountability, dedication to gender inclusion, and resolution of long-standing issues such as delayed payments and outdated facilities. New initiatives like World Skills Day further cemented MINILS’ reputation as a hub for entrepreneurship and labour education.
Through pragmatic leadership, strategic networking, and institutional renewal, Aremu has aligned MINILS with the federal government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, delivering tangible benefits for staff, trainees, and the wider community.
While Nigerians yearn for more leaders of his calibre to steer national institutions, those resistant to reform may find his progress unsettling, but Aremu remains undeterred, focused on driving meaningful change. President Tinubu’s decision to reappoint him was no error; he is the right leader in the right role, and MINILS is only the beginning of greater achievements to come.
There are two types of people in this drama: those building institutions, and those building personal estates from institutional ruins. The curtain falls. The audience laughs. The show goes on. Aremu is making history for Nigeria.
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